1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates generally to immune responses and more specifically to inducing a covalent polyclonal antibody response in a subject, wherein the polyclonal response can be programmed to bind a diverse range of target antigens following administration or addition of a targeting compound designed to covalently engage the induced polyclonal response.
2. Background Information
Despite certain limitations, the time-honored tradition of vaccination has been extraordinarily successful. Typically, a disease relevant immune response is achieved following one or more immunizations and the level of response wherein a prophylactic or therapeutic effect is observed takes days or weeks to build. Thus, vaccination is anticipatory by nature and the kinetics of the immune response limits the efficacy of vaccine-based strategies against aggressive pathogens or rapidly acting toxins wherein one would desire the ability to instantly create an immune state. Ideally, immunity could be specifically and rapidly directed against a non-self antigen like a virus or bacterium or a self-antigen related to cancer or a viral entry receptor like CCR5. The later class of antigens involves breaking tolerance and presents inherent challenges that have only recently begun to be addressed. The most commonly employed vaccination strategies use whole proteins, viruses, or other complex immunogens and induce antibodies reactive against both non-functional and functional epitopes; the ideal approach would direct immunity only against functional or neutralizing epitopes, for example the conserved neutralizing epitopes on HIV-1. Ideally, one would like to circumvent the age-related declines in immune function. Thus, there remains a need in the art for new and improved vaccination methods.